Since my birthday’s coming up soon, one thing that has been
bothering me is getting older. I’m not going to deny it. Gone are the times when
I could be completely carefree. For me, this fear of aging stems from my
impression that the elderly have monotonous lives. I decided to further
research on the topic and came across surprising facts that agree with my
thoughts. But at the same time I found solutions to the problem.
Nearly 20% of the older population experience depression.
Even more troubling, only half of seniors with mental health problems get
treatment of any kind, and less than 3% get treated by a psychologist. There are several health complications related to
depression. However, suicide is
the most feared complication, and it hits older adults harder than any other
age group. In 2004, people aged 65 years and older accounted for 16% of all
suicide deaths in the United States even though they comprised only 12% of the
population. The reasons for delay or denial of treatment of depression could
be numerous. First of all, depression symptoms are mistaken for a variety of
other common health disorders in this age group. Secondly many seniors may
exhibit symptoms of depression differently than the general population.
There are ways to counter this problem. Anti-depressive
medications are quite helpful in many cases. However, exercising three times a week
could be more effective than medication in relieving the symptoms of major
depression in elderly people and may also decrease the chances that the
condition will return over time. Seniors should be encouraged to lead an active
and physical social life and intermingle actively amongst family and community
members. Social interaction can go a long way in avoiding many cases of
depression and emotional troubles resulting from loneliness.
References:
References:
Andrew Rosenzweig, MD, MPH, Holly Prigerson, PhD, Mark D.
Miller, MD, and Charles F. Reynolds III, MD, “BEREAVEMENT AND LATE-LIFE
DEPRESSION: Grief and Its Complications in the Elderly”, Vol. 48: 421-428
(Volume publication date February 1997)
Jaakko Valvanne, Kati Juva, Timo Erkinjuntti and Reijo Tilvis,
“International Psychogeriatrics”, International Psychogeriatrics (1996),
8 : pp 437-443
E Murphy, “Social origins of depression in old age”
Mark La Gory “The Effects of Environmental Context on
Elderly Depression”, Journal of Aging and Health
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